Twelve Days Till Christmas
by Lyrical Rex
Summary: The people on the list: Kaiba, Otogi, Yuugi, Yami, Jou, Honda, Ryou, Yami B. Who's sending the gifts to Isis? That's what Malik wants to know. HIATUS.
1. One silver bell

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, but how oh HOW I wish I owned Malik...**

Notes: In celebration of it being twelve days till christmas, I started this story. I'm trying to go for a weird pairing fiction, but I don't know who the person is yet... I had originally intended it to be Kaiba, but Straws caught on too quick. And yes, I'm aware that I'm degrading Otogi and Bakura.

Inspired by "_Twelve days of Christmas"_ by **Kun II Kya**. Straws read most of this as I wrote it, and gave me the idea of the school burning part. We had a good laugh at the lunchroom scene.

--**Twelve Days Till Christmas--**

_On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me: A partridge in a pair tree._

Or, in this case, a silver bell.

"Hey Isis!" I yelled, banging the door shut behind me. "You've got a present!"

"Oh really, brother? Who's it from?" Isis' head poked out from the kitchen, from which the smell of fresh brownies wafted.

"Err..."

--**Twelve days Till Christmas**--

It was Tuesday the 14th of December when I walked into my classroom. On my desk was a nicely wrapped present. Looking quizzickly at my friends, I looked at the present. The card red: To Isis Ishtar.

"This is for Isis!" I exclaimed, holding the parcel out as if it would grow fangs and bite me.

"Really?" Yuugi asked, standing on his tip toese to peek over the crook of my elbow at the gift. "Who would give you a present to give to your sister?"

"I don't know..." Suddenly, I had a brilliant idea as to how to fish out the culprit. I stood up on my chair. "Hey everyone!" I yelled. "I'm going to smash this really expensive looking present!" Everyone stared. Even Kaiba glanced up from his novel. Barely though. He's training himself to tune out of these distractions. Okay, so not everyone. Yami and Anzu were too busy making googly eyes at each other to notice the silence that had befallen the classroom. I was confused. Normally people would be either chanting to "Do it, Do it," or confessing and telling me to stop. "Does anyone care?!"

Unfortunately, the reason they didn't all start cheering was that the teacher was right behind me. "Mister Ishtar," the female voice stated vehemously. "I would advise you not to cause a racket or a mess in my classroom again. Now, please step off your chair and hand me the present."

I took a moment to compose myself, grinning cheekily as I hopped down from the chair and handed Ichigo-sensei the package. "Gomen, Ichigo-sensei. The package isn't mine. It's for my sister."

The teacher regarded me disdainfully over her brown rimmed glasses. "If it was your sister's, why would you smash it? Women are very sensitive about these things, and I doubt Ms. Ishtar wouldn't be much worse."

I shrugged. "I wasn't really going to follow through with it." I glanced around the room. Everyone, and this time Kaiba, Yami, and Anzu included, was watching.

Ichigo-sensei walked with the package to her desk. "Come get it after class. Be seated for roll-call, please."

**--Twelve Days Till Christmas--**

"What's in it?"

"How should I know, Baka Bakura!" I sighed, slapping Ryou's hand away from the gift. "I want to see what's inside it first, before anyone else touches it."

"Then open it!" Otogi encouraged.

I stared at the supposed Dice Master. "You're even stupider than Bakura. How would I close it again?"

"Poi-" Otogi started, when he was interrupted by a certain Tomb Robber interjecting...

"With Shadow Magic!" He brandished the Mellenium Rod. I stared. I seemed to be doing that alot lately.

"Where did you get my Rod?" I was too shocked to hiss at him.

"This is the fake you gave Rishid." The albino brandished the forgery again.

"I thought it broke, though," I voiced, frowning.

"I had it repaired," Baka Bakura explained, brandishing the fake yet again. "With Shadow Magic!"

Ignoring the idiot, I turned to Ryou and Otogi. "So... What do you think is in it?"

"Why don't you use the real Rod, then?" Ryou asked.

I mentally slapped my forehead. I forgot... "I left it at home," I muttered.

"You what?!" The fake Rod fell from the speaker's grasp, shattering before it hit the ground. "How could you leave it at home? What if the school was attacked?!"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "That's not going to happen."

"But what if it does?! I'm only three-thousand, too young to die!" The spirit of the Ring looked wide eyed in terror at me.

"Then YOU save everyone. You're immortal, Baka. I'll be too busy trying to save Anzu and the Pharoah in alphabetical order, as they'll be too busy googly eying each other to save their own asses."

"Anzu and Atemu," Otogi mused. "Which one is first? Anzu has a Z..."

"Well, you can use this," Ryou offered, taking off his Ring.

"What?! Yadounshi, don't! He'll keep it!" Bakura flung himself across the table, aimed at where Ryou's hand was to pass the Item to mine. It was a futile attempt, as the Ring was already in my hands.

"Don't worry," I assured him, already focusing the power of the Ring at the present. Slowly, the green and gold paper unwrapped itself, smoothing onto the table. The box sprung open, and the four of us looked inside...

**--Twelve Days of Christmas**--

"Oh, it's lovely!" Isis exclaimed, holding up the silver bell. It was carved intricately, the handle forming a swan's head. She was behind me as she opened the present, and I tried to act surprised when she showed me the present.

"You already opened it, didn't you?" Isis asked accusingly at my expression.

I stuffed my face with brownies, wincing as they burnt my tongue, and shook my head no.

"Oh come on, you have your Mellenium Rod. You could use Shadow Magic to open it up and seal it again without a trace." She tapped her fingers against the kitchen table testily.

I shook my head no again. I pointed at where the Rod was hung, on a thing originally made for hanging baseball bats, on the wall across from me. Eww... the brownies... sticking to my teeth.

"Well, you could already know who sent it."

I shook my head again.

"Okay, I believe you... this time," Isis told me standing up. "Swallow. It's unseemingly to have a mouth full of food."

--**Twelve Days Till Christmas**--

((TBC))


	2. Two ahem, one glass shoe

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, but how oh HOW I wish I owned Malik...**

Notes: I so glad it's almost break! Domino is on the same schedule as my school, by the way, meaning that Thursday is actually the last day, except for the fair. As soon as break starts, though, these chapters will get longer. Sware on it!

Oh, and..... Ichigo is named after Straws. Review replies at bottom!

**--Eleven Days Till Christmas--**

_On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two calling birds, and a partridge in a pair tree._

Or, in this case, two slippers. Glass slippers.

"FRAGILE," the box read. Of course, the tag read, "For Isis."

I smirked at Bakura, pulling the Rod from my belt loop. I raised it to the box, ready to use the Shadow Magic when...

"EEK! Ichigo-sensei! Malik-kun's got a dagger!"

And -who- was the one to rat on me? Ryuuji Otogi, of course. That idiot. Idiot Baka. (I know, I'm being repetitive.)

"Ishtar, an hour's detention after school. And give me that weapon now." Indeed, the end of the Rod was open into the dagger. I switched it down, and placed it reluctantly on Sensei's desk. Funnily enough, she didn't even have to look up from her paperwork.

"Hey," Bakura whispered angrily at me. "Why didn't you just send her to the Shadow Realm?"

"Because," I whispered rapidly in reply, "Isis would kill me."

**--Eleven Days Till Christmas--**

"Baku, I need your Ring again." Today, however, Bakura kept the Ring close to hiim, clutching it so tightly, that I thought it would break. In anycase, his knuckles were white.

"No." He shook his head, white-silver tresses whipping along as well. Sakily, he continued, "You let your Rod be taken, all because you are scared of your sister. How can I trust someone who's scared of his sister?!"

I sighed, closing my eyes and rubbing at my temples. "May I remind you that Isis is the only person immune to Mellenium Magic? And this is her present we're talking about, in anycase-"

"Bakura, no!" Ryou's shout jolted me, causing me to bolt upright in my seat, looking at the sight before me. Bakura, inadept in the art of unwrapping and rewrapping gifts with Shadow Magic, was trying to. Ryou, Otogi, and I watched in terror as the gift wrapping made a small "RIP" sound.

"Aw, crap, Baka! First I get my Rod confisticated, then I got detention, and I'm going to be grounded for losing the Rod and getting detention! And now... this!" I made exaggerated hand motions towards the box.

The plain, nondescript shoebox. Bakura smirked as the lid came off with a slight -pop-. Once again, we peered inside....

**::--Eleven Days Till Christmas--::**

"Malik!" Isis yelled.

Damn. I was half way to the stairs too. "Yeah?" I called.

Isis appeared in the doorway to the room, hands set on her waist angerily. "I recieved a call from Sakura-san again."

"You're on first name basis with my math teacher?!" It took a lot of control not to drop the shoebox I held behind my back. That would be a bad idea...

"Your sensei," Isis continued, ignoring my stupor, "Tells me that you have been loud and disruptive in class."

"Yeah, bu-"

"And -where- is the Sennen Rod?" Isis asked suddenly.

"Er..."

"Never mind," Isis snapped, cutting me off. "Sakura probably confisticated it. Now I'll have to go get it from her." Isis closed her eyes, cracking her neck. I realized that, for once, she wasn't wearing her Tauk. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and looked me over critically. "What are you holding behind your back?"

"N-nothing," I stuttered.

Isis eyed me warily. "Fine," she snapped. "Go to your room. And for heavens sake, take a shower? You're all dirty and sweaty. It's unseemingly..." I didn't wait to hear what else she was muttering under her breath, as I had already made it half way up the stairs. On second thought, I came back down again. "Hey Isis, can I use your Tauk?"

"Room. Now!" Isis pointed. I didn't want to test my luck, so I bolted back up. Sometimes I wonder what it'd been like if Rishid hadn't gone to school...

Up in my room, I set down my bag and placed the box carefully on my desk. I flopped onto my bed, from which position I glared at the box. Who was it that wanted to give Isis presents so much?!

**::--Eleven Days Till Christmas--::**

"Slippers," I stated bluntly.

"Oh no, not just any slippers!" Otogi pronounced, examining one of them. (How did he get it so quick?) "They're made of glass!" As if to demonstrate, he stupidly dropped the slipper onto the table. Stupid Otogi.

"What did you do that for?!" I yelled. Shards of glass were flying everywhere, but I didn't care. I would so die if Isis heard anything of this.

There was an uproar in the lunch room, Otogi, Bakura, Ryou, and myself in the middle of it all. People were bleeding, not all to heavily, from being cut with shards. Girls were screaming. And I was yelling at Otogi.

"That was Isis'! She'll kill me if she ever finds out I destroyed her present! You are the most idiotic Baka I have ever met! Including him!" I pointed a shaky finger at Bakura.

And Ryou, for the second time in ten minutes, yelled, "Bakura, no!"

**--Eleven Days Till Christmas--**

"And Mr. Ishtar... I am aware that you have already been set for punishment today for bringing a weapon to school..." Bakura and Otogi snickered. The vice-principal glared at them, to which they stopped. "So you'll be suspended from the all day Christmas fair on Friday." I stared.

"I didn't do anything!" Well, there was no PROOF that I did anyway, thanks to Bakura using his Ring to clean up the smaller shards of glass. So all I was left with was three chunks of glass that were -supposed- to fit together. Could he have maybe repaired the glass shoe? No. Now the pieces don't fit, and I am lost as to how to fix the stupid thing.

Unfortunately, we were talking to the vice-principle of the school. Who, unfortunately, was the one who had confisticated the Rod in the first place. My oh so -lovely- homeroom/math teacher, Ichigo Sakura-sensei. "All -three- of you are suspended from the fair." Lucky Ryou got out of the whole mess... He ran off before anybody could see who was the center of the Lunchroom Glass Panic. Leaving me with to -helpless- bakas who probably can't count. So what if Otogi invented a game? It doesn't say he's smart, especially since he was jacking unoriginal monsters as characters in his game. Not to mention the whole "dice" concept wasn't his either. So he shouldn't get -that- much credit. "I will be seeing all of you tommorow, or, in Malik-kun's case, later today." She didn't have to say anything else to make it clear that we were to leave, as we had already gone.

**::--Eleven Days Till Christmas--::**

And so now, I was sitting and staring at that evil little box, wondering -How The Hell Was I Supposed To Fix The Freaking Glass Shoe?!- Calming down a little, just enough to think rationally, I decided to maybe... Sneak into Isis' room? Okay, good idea. Let's sneak into Isis' room! Oh Ra, I did not just start talking to myself, did I?

Isis' room is all nice and neat. What with creamy white sheets, and an oak bedroom set, the room looked like it was from a freaking magazine, it was so clean. So it'd be hard to get to her Tauk...

Carefully, I tiptoed over to the night table, where I guessed the Tauk would be. It wasn't. I checked the jewelry box. Nope. Is it anywhere?!

"And what are -you- doing in here, mattei?" Isis' voice sounded amused and annoyed at the same time.

"Err...." I could feel myself going crimson.

"Next time, otouto, I advise you -wait- until I leave the house to search my room." With that, Isis pinched my ear, and dragged me to my room.

"Oh, Isis!" I yelled. "I just re- Ouch! Don't pinch so hard!" Isis, finally, let go of my ear entirely. She stood at the door to my room, tapping her foot impatiently.

"It's five o'clock already, and I don't want to be late for a meeting with your teacher." Oh yes, my teacher. Ichigo-sensei. They're like, secret best friends, right? I'll bet anything they'll just sit and laugh about all the stupid things I do.

"Isis! You got another present today!" I motioned for her to follow me into my room, and pointed at the box on my desk, wrapped haphazardly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me that you never opened it?"

"I didn't! It was Bakura! See? Look, the paper is torn! Yesterday when I did it, it didn't even -look- messed up, did it?" I clamped a hand over my mouth. Isis smirked at me.

I didn't know she had such an evil smirk, and I'm her mattei! She walked over, however, and cooly flipped open the lid. "One slipper."

"Don't ask me! I wasn't the one who sent it!" I fidgeted with a button on my school uniform. Who did send it anyways?

"I wasn't asking. One slipper. What happened to the other one?" Isis tapped a finger against the glass.

"Errr.. There was only one!" I blurted. "There was only one slipper in the box!"

"Mmhm..." Isis murmured, obviously not believing me.

"It's true!" I watched fearfully as Isis regarded the shoe. She sat down at my desk and slipped the shoe on her right foot. It fit perfectly.

"Wow..." Isis murmurred. Wow indeed. The glass sparkled all pretty-like on her foot. It looked... pretty.

But soon, the slipper came off, and Isis, holding it gracefully in her hands, locked me in my room. "The timer on your desk will release your key at seven," she told me from outside the door, "At which time you -will- go to the kitchen and eat stew." She didn't even really have to say this. She'd already done this before. It's not like I don't know how to trick the timer. "And I got a new timer."

Dammit! "Alright, oneesan! Have lots and lots of fun!"

"Your sarcasm is unwarranted." I listened as Isis' footsteps faded away.

**--Eleven Days Till Christmas--**

((TBC))

REVIEWS!! Hee hee....

Misura: Glad you liked! The whole Shadow Magic thing seemed much more funny talking about it outloud though, somehow.

Satine: I took your advice, see. It's not Seto. And Mandark, dying is bad.

angelinahieiscuz: Yes, I HAD too.... because, first of all, I only had one chapter. But I'm updating every day, see?

Funky Egyptian: Isis/peggy, huh? well, out of luck there. I don't really like him, as evidenced by lack of fics of his name MENTIONED... He scares me, actually...

Sami: Umm... I just said in the author's note that it wouldn't be isis/seto, just cuz Straws caught onto the clues (which were in turn deleted from the story....) I'm trying not to make the person to obvious.


	3. Three pairs of earrings OW!

Yay! No school! hee hee hee....

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, but how oh HOW I wish I owned Malik...**

Notes: It's break!!!! I had originally intended to update everyday, but keeping up that pace, writing one chapter a day, got very tiresome. So I'm only updating when I want to. This came a couple days ahead of what I promised in my profile, but I'm not complaining. I LOVE MY REVIEWERS! MORE REVIEWS!!!! And.....

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MALIK-KOI! (December 23)**

Tye: Koi? Wishful thinking.

Any ways, I am aware I messed up last chapter, putting "Calling birds" instead of "turtle doves." Please forgive me!

Review replies are at bottom.

**--Ten Days Till Christmas--**

_On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me: three french hens two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pair tree._

Or, in this case, three pairs of diamond earrings.

"ISIS! NO SCHOOL FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I gleefully tracked mud all over the entry hall, not having taken off my shoes. When, of course, Isis appeared in the doorway.

"I am -not- cleaning that up, otouto." I didn't really care. I flopped down onto a couch. "I am taking it that you are not taking my hints."

I shook my head as I flipped on the TV. "Nope."

"Well then let me say it bluntly." Isis snatched the Channel Changer from my hand. "Wait, where are your gold earrings?!"

**:--Ten Days Till Christmas--:**

"You know what? I've decided, I'm not taking this anymore! I'm not gonna be some messenger boy sending presents to my sister because the person who's giving them is too scared to do it himself! Sure, Isis is scary, but I'm not going to take it anymore! I'm going to open this with my hands!" And with that short little speech, I opened the very small cubic box in front of me.

"Earrings!" I squealed. Yeah, so I'm into jewelry, so what? I still dig chicks. It's not like I'm gay.

Okay, so I was really talking to nobody. Ichigo-sensei gave me lunch detention, and left. She -left-. She's not technically supposed to do that, is she?

Oh well.

So there were earrings. We've established that. They were three nice, diamond earrings. One was a pretty, femmenine pair that hung down. Probably quite heavy. There was a pair of silver, diamond encrusted hoops. Nice as well. Then, there were two simple diamond studs. These were in a nice diamond shape. I instantly took a liking to them.

So, I took off my normal dangly gold earrings and put them on.

**:--Ten Days Till Christmas--:**

"Someone gave these to you, and I put them on," I said, tugging at the diamonds currently in mt ears.

"Oh, really?" Isis asked, bemused. "You mean those were for me?"

Oh holy crap. "I meant to say me! I meant to say someone gave these to me!" I jumped off the couch and ran out the door, which, luckily enough, was locked. Lady Luck hates me.

I cowered in terror...

**--Ten Days Till Christmas--**

"Rishid! Do you want anything to drink? A cookie, brownie, tea, maybe?"

Rishid looked at me oddly as he seated himself on the couch and looked at Isis. "Why is Malik acting like this?"

"Oh, he's just grateful that you saved him," Isis stated as she prepared Rishid a late lunch as he hadn't eaten since he departed from Osaka, "for tracking mud all over the floor."

"Oh. I always thought you kept your floor immaculate." Rishid looked down at his own bare feet, glad he'd disposed of his shoes as soon as he'd arrived. "Oh Malik, nice diamond earrings. Where'd you get them?"

"They were _my_ Christmas presents, right Malik?" Isis pressed.

I nodded meekly. "Hai, nee-san." I looked up at my adopted brother. "Want a pair?"

"Malik, no! It's improper for a man to give away another's gift." Isis walked over and pinched my ear. Holding me still, she easily yanked the earrings out of my ear one by one, painfully, might I add.

"OUCH!" I howled.

Rishid just sipped on his tea.

"How many other pairs are there?" Isis asked, pinching harder.

"OW!!!" I howled again. "Two, Isis! Two more pairs!"

Thankfully, my sister let go. "Go get me them."

I scrambled away, muttering under my breath. "I can't believe her, that b-"

"Malik," Isis said in warning. I think that she'd predicted my cursing at her already, as I wasn't in her ear shot.

I wonder if she knows who's sending her gifts? Wouldn't surprise me if she were sending them herself, just to have an excuse to torture me...

I soon returned with the other two pairs, gold earrings once again dangling from my earlobes. "Here," I muttered.

Isis took the small box.

**:--Ten Days Till Christmas--:**

(The reason I had lunch detention, in case you were wondering.)

"Hey Bakura, Ryou, Otogi," I whispered to them during homeroom. We were luckily only a few seats away from each other, close enough for whispering. "I'm having a party for my birthday next week. Wednesday. Can you invite people for me?"

"Sure!" Otogi chirped.

Somehow, he didn't get caught. I didn't bother asking, as I knew he'd just say that Lady Luck loved him.

I think he's having an affair with this "Lady Luck," or at least,insert evil snicker here, _thinks_ about it.

Unfortunately, Lady Luck didn't like my perverse mind. "What's so funny, Mr Ishtar?" Ichigo-sensei asked sternly.

"Nothing," I said straightening in my seat.

"No, really, Malik-kun. You are welcome to tell the class why you interrupted my lesson with such a refined demonic laugh."

I glanced at Bakura with a raised eyebrow. Was I really that loud?

My best friend nodded.

"Mr. Ishtar! You now have lunch time detention!"

I sighed. At least after this, there's no school until 2005! YES!

**--Ten Days Till Christmas, But I Can't Wait Till It's Over--**

((TBC))

Reviews:

Misura: Yep, keeping Malik out of trouble really _is_ hard work.

Angelinahieiscuz: Glad you think it's funny. The story's made to be.

Mandark: DYING IS BAD! Get that through your thick skull!

Satine89: Yep. Kaiba SHOULD be glad. But... (insert evil grin here)...

Next time: What does one do when suspended from a school carnival? Hee hee...


	4. Four, what?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANO! (Hana-Kimi Rocks! If you haven't ever heard of it, go out to Walden books or Borders books or whatever, and buy it NOW!)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, but how oh HOW I wish I owned Malik...**

Notes: Did I mention that Domino's on my schedule? Yeah, that's right. It is.Review replies at bottom!

**--Nine Days Till Christmas--**

_On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree._

Or, in this case...

**--Nine Days Till Christmas--**

I bolted upright in bed, afraid of being late for school. It took half a second to recognize the fact that I had been suspended from the school carnival, at which thought I cheered.

"HELL YEAH! NO SCHOOL FOR THREE WEEKS! WHOOP!" I jumped out of bed and danced around. After that, I bounced down the stairs into the kitchen. "Morning Isis neesan! Morning Rishid-sama!" (I was still hung up on yesterday.)

Rishid laughed, and ruffled my platinum hair. "I remember when -I- was the one who called you Malik-sama. If I can recall..."

"Did you make your bed?" Geez, my sister could break the mood. Her moss green eyes drilled into me, making me wince.

"No..."

"Do it now!" Isis pointed a delicate looking finger at the stairs. I sighed and followed her command.

"Yes'm."

When I got up to my room, I heard snowballs on the window outside. I slid the window open and poked my head out to see Bakura. "What are you doing?" I hissed. "Isis'll know..."

"Come on! Let's crash the carnival!" Bakura was grinning like the baka he was.

"What?! Why?! Where's Otogi?!" I hissed back at him, looking over my shoulder to make sure Isis wasn't around.

"Oh, I was bored. Otogi's doing business, and Ryou's at the carnival, so I thought maybe we could hang out with him." Bakura was preparing another snowball to throw, presumably into my room if I refused.

"I'll have to go tell Isis that I'm going. Hold on a bit."

I slammed the window shut so that the snowballs wouldn't ruin the room I was planning to make immaculate.

**--Nine Days Until Christmas--**

"Hey Isis! I'm going out with Bakura!" I yelled as I passed the kitchen.

"I would advise you not to sneak in to the school carnival. Sakura is going to invite me as soon as you exit the house, and she'll see you when we're there." She told me this calmly as she started cleaning up the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes. Isis' predictions were bogus.

I stepped out of the house, feeling the snow crunch under my feet. As soon as I was out, the phone rang. "Oh hi, Sakura..." Isis gushed.

Dammit.

"Yo, Bakura!"

--Nine Days Until Christmas--

"I can't believe we're doing this." We were at Domino High's annual holiday carnival.

One reason I liked not having to go was that I didn't have to help the set up and everything, so we could wander around without stressing.

"Oi! Yodonushi!!" Bakura yelled.

I pulled down Bakura's waving hand. "What are you... We'll get caught!" I hissed.

"Geez. Don't be such a party pooper."

"I just don't want to get expelled!"

"Hey guys," Ryou said, coming over and grinning. "Where's Otogi?"

I crinkled my nose. "Ditched us for his Lady Luck."

Ryou laughed. "That's right. He was having a big business deal and was going to miss out on the carnival anyways, huh? Yeah, well..."

"HOLY SHIT!" I whispered loudly. My eyes followed the movements ofmy sister, brother, and teacher."We've got to hide!" I pushed the two albinos into Ryou's booth.

I crouched down, and tried to look over the top. "Geez," Bakura murmurred slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Why'd you have to push so hard?"

"Shhh..." I hissed. "Isis _knows_ we're here! Her Tauk showed her! She's here with Ichigo-sensei and Rishid-san. OH..." I gagged at the sight in front of me.

"What's wrong?" Ryou asked.

"Ichigo-sensei... is... flirting with Rishid! That has got to be the most vile thing I've ever seen!" I mean, honestly! Your teacher, flirting with your half brother. Disturbing, ne? The fact that your sister is there too is even more disturbing. Especially since Isis is coming to get me! "Oi, Baka, we're going!"

I'm glad Rishid was there, or Bakura and I would've never gotten the chance to get out without being spotted by the Sensei of Doom. That's the second time in two days he's saved me. I think I need to get him a better Christmas present.

**--Nine Days Till Christmas--**

"You're ditching with us, Ryou?" I asked incredously once we'd gotten far away enough. We were now at Almando's coffee shop, lounging at tables outside.

"Sure," Ryou said, shrugging. "The booth doesn't need much help, and Yuug will always cover for me."

"I think she saw us," I muttered, rubbing my forehead. "Sensei saw us."

"So?" Bakura asked.

"If," I stated, my voice rising hysterically, "I am caught, I could get expelled, meaning I do the year over again! And I'm DRAGGING YOU DOWN WITH ME, BAKA!!" I sat glaring daggers at the albino accross from me. Ryou's eyes were darting around, and Bakura was laughing. He was laughing, gods damn it! "People are watching me, aren't they?" I asked Ryou. He nodded.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and sank into my chair.

**--Nine Days Till Christmas--**

"So what else do you want to do?" I asked boredly. I hadn't chosen a thing to do the entire day.

Ryou had dragged us off to Neotype Station to get a bunch of Shojo manga. After which Bakura pulled us in to see an NC 17 rated movie. How we got in, I will never know. Don't worry, the movie wasn't rated for romance. Oh no... It was rated for blood and gore. It made Mel Gibson's "Passion" seem G rated. After that, Ryou wanted to go clothes shopping, and then Bakura had wanted to go get monster burgers at Burger World.

My stomach felt like it would burst.

"Ice cream?" Ryou suggested.

"No," I muttered. "I think it's time I go home." I checked my watch. Yup, defenitely. It was already six O'clock, and I was tired and cold from dragging along behind the two.

"Alright!"

Bakura and Ryou left me at my house, and I trudged slowly up the steps to the door. I cheerfully (Yeah, right,) slid onto my butt as I reached the top step. Ouch. Feeling all the more miserable, I stood up and unlocked the door, not noticing the package I almost stepped on.

"Don't step on the package," Isis warned before I took the step.

She swooped in from the living room and picked it up. She left just as quickly, going to the kitchen. I followed.

**--Nine Days Till Christmas--**

Being locked in your room is not fun. Especially not for spazzing out for the fact that your homeroom/math teacher/vice principle was in the kitchen with your adopted brother, coquetishly fluttering eyelashes at said brother. And Isis didn't even let me see the gift! All she told me was that it was from her secret admirer. (She won't even tell me who it is. She probably already knows, because of her Tauk.)

Not to mention the fact that Isis is making Rishid keep the Rod away from me. And the fact that I'm grounded for Christmas break. Nor the fact that I'm being suspended again for ignoring suspension. (Yes, Ms. VP caught me.) To top it off, she mistook Bakura for Ryou, therefore HE didn't get into trouble. Damn him.

And it's only been the first day of break!

**--Nine Days Till Christmas. I REALLY Can't Wait Till It's Done With.--**

Yeep! Reviews!

**Mandark**: PUT DOWN THE CHAINSAW!

**Misura:** Err... oops. oo; Sorry, I haven't put in any clues yet. I only JUST chose the anonymous sender, though! I'm not good at putting in clues, so they'll be more or less subtle. Very. So subtle I myself may not even realize I put in clues.

**Satine89:** I'm sorry for using Ichigo so much for the adults! I'm just a little uncreative right now... sorry.

**Lindsey and Leila the BMGs: **I know, right?

**angelinahieiscuz: **Here's the more you asked for! D

**geminiprincess549: **Actually, it really is all Marik's fault. He's just a big idiot.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!!!

(Happy b-day, Izumi! ((Again)))


	5. Five golden rings!

For Christmas, I got a cool mp3 player, Charles Dickens, and a nice elephant blanket that my dad tried to buy off me for 25 dollars. As IF! Then again, he's been using it for the past three days, so I think it would've been better if I took the money. **No, I did not get Yugioh for Christmas. Ergo, I hold no ownership.**

I had originally hoped this to come up a bit earlier, but as of such... Happy belated New Years, Christmas, and birthday to Tao Ren of Shaman King (Jan. 1)

I have a new true love! Hatsuharu Sohma-koi!

Tye Pyra: STOP SAYING KOI!

I don't really understand why the tongues of flame are all mad at me...

Notes: The YGO cast is in first year at highschool, which is tenth grade for them, right? Right... So the Juniour highschool group is in ninth grade. Alright? Alright.

**-Eight Days Till Christmas-**

_On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Five golden rings! Four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree._

Or in this case, um, five golden rings.

Well, I was grounded. Luckily, the grounding sentence didn't include not being able to watch tv. Isis had made me make the beds, dust the rooms, clean the toilets, vacuum the house and all those other things Cinderella had to do for her wicked step sisters, except for the fact that Isis was really my sister, not an evil step sister. She let Rishid sleep in though! Darn her...

In anycase, I was watching Shaman King when the mail came. Shaman King is a good show. That Anna chick is hot. If she were a real person with a less annoying voice, I'd defenitely be dating her.

In the mail was another package. I think whoever is sending these presents has to have money. I mean, glass slippers? Customized to fit perfectly? Those don't come too cheap. And the silver bell, of course. And the real diamond earrings! That checks off a few people on the list. Jou, of course, is poor ass. Then again, he'd probably steal for a girl... Anyways, the box was wrapped in a pretty red.

Knowing the Tauk would show Isis if I took the present and opened it myself, I took it to her, hoping she wouldn't keep the present away from me like yesterday.

"Oh thank you, Malik," Isis greeted me as I came and handed her the small box. She carefully slit open the wrapping paper, taking it off to reveal a plain jewelry box. I peeked over her shoulder as she opened it. Then again, I'm actually taller than her, so I don't really have to "peek."

There were five gold rings.

**-Eight Days Till Christmas-**

"Aw, come on, oneesan! Can't I go out for a walk or something!" I begged Isis as she got her coat and prepared to walk out the door.

"You can come with me to the museum, if you want," Isis told me.

"Alright! I'm coming!" I quickly ran upstairs and changed into my usual cargo pants and white hoodie.

When I came down stairs, Isis was eying me critically. "It's not hygenic to leave your midriff bare like that." I shrugged.

"You work at a museum, not a restaurant. Let's go."

You might be wondering where Rishid was during all of this. Answer is: getting ready for a date. At seven in the morning, Rishid came downstairs and announced that he was going out to get clothes for a date. Are stores even open at seven in the morning? And guess who his date's with?

That's right. Ichigo Sakura. My teacher and my brother... ew.

If Rishid were here, I'd choose being bored to death with him rather than go to theMuseum with my sister. But he isn't, and I'd rather go to the museum for some reason rather than staying at home bored to death with myself. Especially since Bakura threatened to attack the house with Shadow Magicked snowballs. I had a feeling that if Isis came home to a Shadow Magicked snowball covered house, she'd pin it on me.

So that's the reason I ended up going to the Museum with my sister.

**-Eight Days Till Christmas-**

"I'm bored..." I moaned, spinning in the swivel chair across the desk that Isis sar at doing paper work.

"Stop spinning. You'll give yourself a headache." Isis, like Ichigo-sensei, didn't have to look up from her paperwork. I stopped spinning around, and ended up looking at Isis' hands, at her new presents. She wore the five plain golden bands, three on her right hand and two on her left. Something you didn't know: Isis is left handed. Interesting, ne?

So anyways, Isis is writing with her left hand, signing documents and so on, while I sit bored to death in front of her. I should've stayed at home.

"What did you get yesterday?" I asked spontaneously.

"Why do you want to know so much?" she replied instantly.

"Because I have this idea that maybe if I know what all the presents are, maybe I can figure out who's sending these."

Isis started laughing.

"What?" I asked.

"You're funny, Otouto-san." Isis took something from her bag, a flat little casing, and set it on the desk in front of her. "If you want to know so much..."

Isis let me look at the gift. Yay. It was actually quite boring. Four really nice fountain pens. Pretty. All different colors too: Black, blue, red, and green.

Very pretty. Why would anyone give her pens?

**-Eight Days Till Christmas-**

"And this is an engraving of the Ba- er, Pharoah," I noted in a bored tone.

I was sixteen years old, working my first job, which is giving a tour of an ancient Egypt museum to a bunch of Junior high students, despite my being merely one grade older than them. A bunch of girls were giggling and pointing at me. I rolled my eyes. I have no time for adolescent crushes.

"And that wraps up the tour!"

There was a slight buzz as I walked off abruptly. I ignored the cries of "What! We only saw one thing!" until I ran into someone... namely, Isis.

"Otouto, you are to give a full and thorough tour of the Egyptian exhibit. If not, you will be given the job of the janitor." Paling at that, because some people with quesy stomachs tended to throw up after seeing the mummy bones, I quickly returned to the group, and Isis went on her way.

Mentally groaning, I put on a grin as I reached my group. "Just kidding!" I quipped. "I'm not really leaving you now..."

"Malik!" I heard someone growl. I turned to see Jou.

"Jou!" I replied, grinning with a matchingly sarcastic enthusiasm. "So great to see you here! Wait, why -are- you here?"

"Chaperone for my sister's field trip. What are you doing?"

"Being a tour guide for your sister's field trip! Great! We're together! You can help me show these kids around!" With that, I went off on my fun little adventure into Isis land!

-Cough. Cough.- Yeah. Right.

**-Eight Days Till Christmas-**

Not too far into the tour (we'd only reached the next thing), we ran into Otogi. What the hell that baka was doing there was beyond me. And why the hell was he dressed in a business suit anyways?

"Um, Otogi, I'm kinda doing a tour here. Would you mind stepping out of the way so I can show these kids the Pharoah's coffin?" I asked.

Otogi apparently didn't hear me. He continued to seemingly be in a daze, rocking back and forth a little on his heels.

"Otogi?" I poked him, to be annoying. Come on, I am entitled to, right? After all, he's the reason I had suspension.

Jou took a more direct approach. "Otogi Ryuuji, snap out of it and stop staring at Malik's sister through the glass!" Otogi snapped out of it, alright, and socked Jou in the stomach. Lightly, though, as to merely disturb his digesting system and nothing more. "Ouch! I just ate, you dope."

"Well, would you mind not alluding to the false fact that I am staring at Isis Ishtar?" Otogi countered. And how would he be staring at Isis anyways? She wasn't even in the same room anymore.

"Well, what else would you be doing here!" Jou stated.

"Coming to bug you, of course," the game inventor/plagerist said, pretending to check his fingernails for dirt as he gave flirtatious winks to the girls in my tour group.

Jou gave a disgusted look at my friend.

Otogi childishly stuck a tongue back at him.

Damn. I could just tell Otogi was going to be following us around for the next hour and a half.

**-Eight Days Till Christmas... This Is Really** **Getting Tiring-**

REVIEWS! Yuummy!

**Geminiprincess549:** Marik is an idiot in this story, because that's the way I wrote him.

**Lindsey and Leila the BMGs:** I like Malik too. In fact, I did, at one point, call him koi. Now Haru-koi's my koi! I also know what it's like to get earrings ripped out... hoop ones though, not studs. Oh, and, the first clue is here! Maybe more... (And that's a maybe... )

**Sami:** Pens. That good? Anyways, Late merry christmas to you too! And happy new years!

**Straws:** You know, you don't really know who Rishid is, do you? Straws, you're not entitled to carry Rishid around in your brain along with Kaiba, Ren, Mandark, and Boris. Oh yes... And I think I'm going to start to elaborate on my mind cast. So far I have Rai, Tye, and Pyra. My mini dragons flew off long ago. Pooey. I think Rednal disappeared with them. (Tears up.)

**Flaring Emerald:** No Seto/Isis. I'm experimenting it though, in a weird little story I haven't been working on in ages, but its basically a literal translation of the eagles "Hotel California."

And yes, Straws, you were the one who exposed me to the song, therefore you have once again influenced my writing.

**Misura:** You wrote the longest review. n.n! Thanks for all your praise!

Well, I hoped you liked this chapter! RR!


	6. Six colors of a rainbow or silk scarves

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. The character Enzan Injuuin is from Magaman, which I hold no ownership to either. I was trying to find the Japanese name for Blaze Quest, but I couldn't find it, so it stayed Blaze Quest. I don't own that.**

Notes: I gave up watching Malcolm in the Middle for this! I hope you're HAPPY!

-**Seven Days Till Christmas-**

_On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me six geese a laying, five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree._

That verse in the beginning is starting to get pretty long.

**-Seven Days till Christmas-**

Sunday morning is usually the morning I spend in bed. Normally, this would be the day I'm found sleeping in bed. However, on the morning of Sunday December the 19th, 2004, I was rudely awoken by a smelly substance being applied to my hair. The smelly substance in question would be yellow mustard. (Ra, I hate that stuff.)

Accompanying my shrill shrieks were my friends' well rounded, evil laughs.

As I reached out for the Millennium Rod to banish Otogi and Akefia (aka Bakura) to the Shadow Realm, I remembered Isis had included confiscation of the Rod in my grounding. "You bakas will die," I growled in earnest, a flush rising in my cheeks. "You will!"

Baka Ryuuji and Baka Bakura just started laughing as the heavy liquid dripped all over my bedding as I sat up. Isis was going to kill me!

Making a bold decision, I left Otogi and Bakura alone to shower, glad that when I returned, the worst the two had done was to divide up my rarest Duel Monsters cards, and they were about to cast lots for them.

"Oi!" I announced as I entered my room. "Where's baby Ryou today?"

"He's not a baby," Otogi said, at the same time Bakura replied:

"Out." Bakura rolled one of Otogi's dice. "He's busy getting people Christmas presents."

"And your birthday present," Otogi added, satisfiedly picking up the card pile containing Ra. "I didn't forget it! I got you a present!"

I looked at him suspiciously. "Okay… well, anyways, I need your help to sneak out of the house."

"Why?" Bakura asked.

"So Isis doesn't catch me, duh. I need to get this stuff to the Laundromat," I said, bundling up my sheets. Otogi nodded and disappeared. I blinked.

"Bakura… Where does he think he's going?" I asked.

"To help you," Bakura replied, sticking Otogi's forgotten cards (or really, mine) into his pocket. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

**-Seven Days till Christmas—**

Hearing Otogi sweet talking my sister was a weird experience. Yes, he was "distracting her" by flirting with her. Minimalistic, though, by Otogi standards. Just a lot of complimenting and stuff. However, as soon as we'd taken five steps from the house, Isis called Otogi's cell phone, and told me to come back for laundry detergent. Which, of course, I did, as I didn't want stinky bed sheets for my winter break. And my birthday. Did I mention that my birthday was coming up? Yeah, in four days, I would be turning seventeen. Yep.

Anyways… At the Laundromat, I stuffed my sheets in the wash. I sat down on a bench and propped my feet up. "Alright Baku and Otogi. Here's my plan…" I looked up, and behold, Bakura was not present. "Where the hell his Bakura?"

"Oh," Otogi replied. "He went off. Said that Ryou was calling. Needs girl help or something, like that three thousand year old spirit could help," the dice master scoffed. He was twirling his hair and looking at it closely, looking for any split ends he might need to cut off.

"Alright then…" I muttered. "Well… Do you have any ideas of who's sending Isis gifts? All I know is that he's not having financial difficulties. Plus he doesn't seem to know what to get a girl. The presents are so random. And he probably goes to school with us."

"Why are you so wrapped up in that?" Otogi asked, sighing exaggeratedly as he slid of the washing machine to face me.

"She's my sister, and I just want to know who's using MY DESK as a freaking post box!"

I pulled out a pen and paper (don't ask from where,) and wrote this down:

List: Rich Geezers

Otogi Ryuuji

Motou Yuugi

Motou Yami

Kaiba Seto

Ijuuin Enzan

List: Dirt Poor Geezers

Jounouchi Katsuya

Honda Hirito

A bunch of other people I don't feel like mentioning

List: Financial Status Unsure

Bakura Ryou

Bakura Akefia (The Yami.)

Other people I'm too sloth to mention

"Demonstrated here," I noted, indicating the list, "Is that I know a lot of rich folk."

Otogi picked up the list and inspected it closely. "Enzan? Isn't he the son of Blaze Quest's CEO? He's also thirteen, a trifle too young, ne?"

Ripping the paper out of Otogi's hands, I quickly crossed the name off the list. Smiling happily, I said, "One less suspect."

**-Seven Days till Christmas-**

I think Otogi got annoyed with me. That's probably why he left while I was busy taking the sheets out of the washing machine. That's not a very good friend, ne? He didn't even announce his leaving. I sat down on the bench once again to review the list of suspects, when a loud slurping sucking-at-an-empty-fountain-drink-cup sound alerted me of another presence. "Whatchya doin'?" someone annoyingly familiar asked.

"What are you doing here, Jou?" I asked, containing a groan in annoyance. It was good enough for him to half been stuck with me during the lockdown yesterday at the museum while somebody was robbing an artifact across the hall. The fact that all the girls in his sister's class were bent on flirting with Otogi or me helped in my decision to regret going to work for Isis.

"Doing laundry. My sister's staying over the break, so I decided to clean the bed sheets for her." Jou sat down and looked over my shoulder at the list. "I'm not dirt poor, you—"

"Um, actually Jou, you are." I gestured his dirty bed sheets.

Jou reddened. "So? What're you saying, punk. You wanna fight or somin'?"

I shook my head. "Hey Jou, who do you think would be rich and crazy enough to buy my sister a million crazy presents?"

"Crazy?" Jou asked (questioningly).

I nodded. "I don't think anyone in the right mind would want to seriously date Isis."

"Why not? You're sister is really hot… OWCH!" The last statement was most likely caused by the hand pinching his ear tightly. The hand belonged to a certain blonde duelist by the name of Mai Kujaku.

"You're girlfriend's right here! What exactly do you think you're trying to get away with by saying another woman is hot!"

"I was just convincing Malik that it's not so bad for his sister to- OWCH! Hey! Let go of my ear! Wait a minute… Where's Shizuka?"

"Oh, we ran into Otogi, and he took her to the arcade next door."

"That bastard! Come on, let's go!"

And with that, Jounouchi Katsuya pulled his girlfriend along after him to save his sister from the "Big Bad Otogi," leaving his bed sheets behind. I crossed his name off the list.

**-Seven Days till Christmas-**

Yami could be crossed off the list too, seeing as he is in love with that cheer leader Anzu. Yuugi's off too, seeing as he's too young to have hormones. (He is twelve, right?) Should Ryou be put off the list? I don't think he's even interested in girls… I left that name just incase.

Plus the fact that when I returned home with my bundle of bed sheets, I ran into Ryou on the doorstep of my home, holding a package. "Ano… Ryou, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Ah… I was coming over to ask if you wanted to go shopping or something and I found this on your doorstep." He raised the package as indication.

I shrugged, and pulled out a house key, suspicion rubbing at the back of my mind. "Open the door," I said, tossing the key to Ryou. He didn't catch it, but bent down to pick it up. After fumbling in the keyhole for a bit, the boy smiled slightly at me, and pushed open the door. Walking into my home, I smelt the delicious smell of fresh brownies! Isis is a good brownie maker, did I ever mention that?

Ryou went directly into the kitchen and placed the package on the table.

**-Seven Days till Christmas-**

I just realized, I forgot to do something:

_On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me six geese a laying, five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree._

Or, in this case, six silk scarves.

**-Seven Days till Christmas-**

"Isis-san, I think this is for you," Ryou said softly. You know, he almost sounds like a girl, but that's much aside the point.

And indeed, it was labeled **FOR ISIS** on the side in a curly font.

Isis set down a plate of brownies on the table, gracefully gesturing for Ryou and I to dig in. She removed her oven mitts (!) and picked up the box, using her thumbnail to slit the tape. Inside were six beautifully designed silk scarves, each a different color of the rainbow.

I had to admit, however, that they just HAD to be expensive. The rich designs on each silk scarf (and the fact they were obviously pure silk) meant they had to be. And they were beautiful. If I had a girl to court, I'd definitely give those to her. I don't think the scarves are very practical, however, noting that they are made of silk and not very warm at all.

And so the day ended with me not getting in trouble for once.

**-Seven Days till Christmas-**

NOT.

Stupid Bakura. Stupid STUPID BAKA! Bakura.He just HAD to come and bombard the house with bewitched snowballs, didn't he?

**-Seven Days till Christmas… HURRY UP ALREADY, WILL YA-**

Review replies!

**Misura: **I feel bad for Malik-kun too…

**Angelinahieiscuz: **You really think it's that funny. I'm flattered.

**Saiyanluva24601: **Thanks! (And I'm not saying it's Otogi, cuz it'd be unfair to tell you before the story's done.)

**Satine89:**I know you love me. Everyone should! XD! J/K. And how many times do I have to say that Ichigo-sensei is only _named_ after you?

**MotherCHOWGoddess: **You're right. I'm trying to make him a normal sixteen-year-old, albeit… a bit immature at times. I'm glad he's not my kid either.

**Sami: **I seriously couldn't think of anything that could come in fours except pens. ((Sweatdrop)) And I'll have you know that I am a dubbie girl. I've only ever seen the dub anime (except for the first disk VIZ let out in Japanese,) so I know all the dub character's names. n.n Random note of information: Otogi being Duke actually makes SENSE! I looked up Otogi on a Jap-English dictionary, and it meant… DUKE! Isn't that amazing!

**X Kaibasgirl x: **Trustshipping, yadda yadda, it's all good, but I already swore to Straws… But _maybe_… (And I'd be a terrible friend, lying to Straws like that, but whatever. n.-)


	7. Seven colored gems

**DISCLAIMER: Yugioh belongs to… some old Japanese guy, not some fourteen year-old spastic girl who is writing under the name "Lil-Riter." Got that? Him, not me. (Points at Takahashi or whatever his name is.)**

Notes: I have to admit to something. From the very beginning, Strawberries has been helping me out on this fic. It's nearly co-written by her. At least half of the ideas for presents are from her, and did I ever mention the teacher was named after her? Yes. Ichigo in Japanese means Strawberry. But hey, I did this all myself! No help from Satine 89 whatsoever. And I've got half of the next chapter written already, so expect the next update sooner than before.

**-Six Days till Christmas—**

_On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree!_

Or, in this case, a lovely assortment of pretty bracelets: Ruby, Amber, Yellow Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst, and Diamond bracelets set in gold.

**-Six Days till Christmas-**

I spun around in the chair at "my" desk. Another boring day at work… I was supposed to be going over proposals about buying artifacts etc. However, the work is very boring. Enough said. "Malik!" a young boy yelled, getting my attention, I stopped spinning around to see Mokuba Kaiba running over to the desk and promptly jumping onto the chair across from me, looking around the room.

"What are you doing here?" I couldn't help asking, as I rubbed my temples, working off the effects of the spinning.

"He likes it here," a cool, flat voice mentioned. I opened my eyes to see Kaiba coming in, closing the door behind him. Great, now I was locked in a room with Kaiba. Well, not yet, but… Who knows about the door? What if it mysterious force locked the door? That would be terrible. Alright, so I'd rather have a normal Mokuba and Kaiba than a normal Otogi and Yami Bakura locked with me. "I'm here because I'm having a meeting in the building across the street soon. There's nothing else remotely interesting around here to do while I wait."

"What's up with you big business men and waiting around in the museum!" I asked, remembering Otogi. Mokuba had gone over to the book shelf to pull out some advanced reading materials and was deep into a book on Tomb Robbers. Isis is actually quite keen on the subject… Which reminded me… "Oh, Kaiba. If you don't want to be late for your meeting, I don't suggest you wait around here."

Kaiba raised and eyebrow as he seated himself on the armchair that Mokuba had vacated. "And this would be why?"

Whistling, I stood up and stretched. I'd been spinning around in the chair for forty minutes; it was now eleven thirty in the morning. "Last Saturday we had someone attempting to steal an artifact."

Kaiba crossed his arms, crossing his legs impatiently. "And this is relative…"

"Bakura bet that he'd be able to actually steal the thing today, in broad daylight, without being caught. I have doubts about him pulling it off, but I can get him out of trouble, and Isis is too soft to dare press charges." I checked my finger nails for dirt. "We'd then go into lockdown mode and…"

((BRINGGGGGGGGG))

"Attention," a mechanical voice announced. "We are entering lock down mode. Please do not panic. Stay calm, and breathe deeply."

I grinned as Kaiba groaned.

**-Six days left-**

Okay, so I shouldn't have grinned so soon. We were locked in that room for three hours. I got locked in the room with Kaiba. Ironic, as I'd just been thinking about that, ne? Mokuba just sat and read right through it, and Kaiba kept arguing with people over his cell phone. I could feel my stomach trying to eat its way out of my body. At least I wasn't with Otogi and Bakura. If I was, we'd have died from the fire already.

Yes, I'm aware that this is a lock down, not a fire. I'm just saying that if I'd been with Otogi and Bakura, there WOULD have been a fire.

Finally after being let out, I noticed something on the ground next to the door of the office. I picked it up. TO ISIS, it read on the side in curly font.

It was a box, a flat box around six inches in length, three inches wide, and half an inch tall. What the hell would be wrapped like this! As Kaiba brushed past me, snapping irritably into his cell phone, I glared at him suspiciously. Mokuba pranced by, singing a Christmas tune. "On the first day of Christmas…"

I had the urge to throw the present at the back of Mokuba's head, but I didn't, do to the fact that my stomach wanted to do something else.

**-Six Days!—**

I didn't reach the toilet before I threw up, but I did reach the sink.

As I retched into the sink, I mused on how ironic it was that I wanted to throw up because I was hungry. "That's kind of gross," a soft, girly voice noted. I instantly knew it was Ryou.

"Hey Ryou," I said, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. "What's up?"

Ryou blinked. "I actually have no idea what I'm doing here. Bakura… Says he wins… and… That you have to let him come over later to give it back." Ryou made a weird face. "What's going on? Bakura never uses my body anymore…"

I coughed into my hand. Ryou blushed.

"You know what I mean!" he laughed, pushing me lightly. "It's just… Bakura can make his own body. Why choose to… What's in my pocket?" Ryou blinked confusedly as he delved his hand into his pocket. Pulling out, he saw that he was holding an ancient Egyptian necklace. "I think this belongs in the museum," he said, holding the chain out to me.

As I reached out for the artifact, the hand withdrew. I looked up to see not Ryou, but Bakura, grinning maniacally. "YOU OWE ME!" With that, he ran out of the bathroom.

That… was weird. Even for the Tomb Robber.

Humming as if I didn't witness what just happened, I started on my way out of the museum.

**-Six days until Christmas!—**

Humming the stupid song the mini-Kaiba was singing when I last saw him, I strolled out onto the streets where I was instantly enveloped in a tight hug. "Otoutou-san! I'm so glad that you're alright!"

Isis, if you couldn't have guessed. Why is it that she uses her Tauk to see certain events and not others? Such as me cursing her behind her back, but not me being alright?

And wouldn't she know who stole the thing?

"IT WAS MY FAVORITE!" she wailed.

"Isis…" I said nervously. "You have the Tauk, right?"

"THAT'S WHAT WAS STOLEN!" she wailed some more.

I blinked. "It was on display?"

Isis choked back a sob. "I don't know… The Tauk told me to do it!"

It sounds like an excuse… like, you know, my dog ate my homework. A kind of… lame excuse, but… Whatever.

I felt bad about having opened her present… But, whatever. She won't know now, right?

**-Six Days till Christmas-**

Isis gave me great news: I was too young, and that I shouldn't spend my last days as a sixteen year-old being grounded. And that I shouldn't spend my birthday and Christmas grounded either. So all punishments are postponed until after break. Thank Ra.

Maybe one of the reasons she ungrounded me is because she no longer is able to make me work for her, as her museum is being held as a crime scene, and that she'd be closed for holidays anyways, right?

Plus the fact that she really liked her new presents. You know, the bracelets. She was found wearing the Ruby bracelet and her red silk scarf when we went to dinner that night.

**-Six Days till Christmas—**

((Still TBC))

Reviews: I want to cry about losing reviewers. (sobs)

Annyways……………

**BMGS**: I'm nicknaming you. You guys have too long a pen name. -.-; It's not nice to point and laugh. Mwee hee hee…. (my new evil laughter.) I'm not saying it's him! XD And… I would like a bewitched snowball too!

**Angela: **I'm nicknaming you too. Shonen Jump is cool! Straws won't let me read hers though, and I'm too cheap to buy my own. -.-; Kidding, but anyways… A sequel? Hmm… that's an idea. But who would it star?

**Satine 89: **He tried to kill Jou! That's… terrible!

**Misura: **Malik'd most likely put himself under rich geezers, or just make a new (more flattering) category for himself. And yeah, I'm aware that it's been a while since Christmas, but who exactly cares? I don't, that's who! XD

**Bourei no Hikari: **No, it's perfectly alright to mention who you think it is. n.n It's not like I'd actually confirm it until the last chapter. I think I kinda hinted, or at least crossed out some people.

And this may seem random, but did I ever mention how much Otogi's dub name "Duke" makes so much sense? It does!


	8. Chapter seven and a half

**DISCLAIMER: Takahashi is an old Japanese guy. He doesn't need to write fanfiction.**

Notes: Last time I said I had half of the text for this chapter written. I lied. I only had two pages on the word processor sheet written. All my chapters thus far have been only four pages. But this thing? Nooo…. It refused to be less than nine pages long! Nine! And that's not including notes of any kind! But I wrote Ren in just for Satine89! n.n! She gave me great ideas for this chapter too… but I forgot them. -.-; But I wrote this all by myself!

Notes 2: Cameo appearances contained within: Tao Ren, Tao Jun from Shaman king. Takara, my own OC. The fat guy I saw at the Viet Market once when I was in the… sixth grade I think?

Notes 3: WARNING! Lot's of use of the phrase "Lard-Ass." Also some "shit" in here. ON with the story!

**-Six Days till Christmas…-**

Okay, so now I'm breaking out of routine. Usually, I only have a chapter for one day, right?

But I've decided to split chapter 7 in half, because there is SO much to write about on the dinner.

Baka Baku—

I'm getting ahead of my self here. Alright Malik, breathe deeply and **calmly** write about what happened…

**­­­Chapter seven and a half-**

Dinner was out at a lovely lovely restaurant… a Chinese restaurant that Ichigo-sensei (Sakura-san, cough cough) recommended. Dinner was also a surprise early birthday dinner for me, considering that as my real birthday (which was to be close to Christmas, and this was the closest reservation to my birthday they could make) was still yet three days away. Maybe it was also sympathy for "being stuck for three hours plus in a boring room with no other company than Kaiba. And his brother who was reading through Isis' romance novels starring Egyptian criminals, but he doesn't count because he didn't do anything but read the entire time. He didn't even whine about not having food, which I had done." Yep. That was a more likely reason.

Everyone was there. The entire Yuugi-tachi (Yuugi, the Pharaoh, Anzu, Jou, Honda, Mai, Shizuka), Kaiba and his little brother, and Otogi were there.

Where were Bakura and Ryou you ask? No need to look further. See those to geeks serving our table? That's them. (Enter evil snicker.) Bakura and Ryou work at the restaurant, yes, busing tables.

That was just too funny.

-**­­­Chapter seven and a half-**

Everyone was already there when I arrived. Isis had actually allowed me to drive the car there! It's a miracle, really. She never lets me drive. Worried about crashes or stolen cars or… whatever else there is to be worried about.

Anyways, everyone was already seated at our table when we arrived. The Injuuin family was at the restaurant as well, apparently, seeing as Takara Injuuin was sitting in my seat and annoying the hell out of Kaiba.

Bakura and Ryou were fighting over who was going to serve either my large table or the lard-ass a few tables away, which unnerved me, sort of. Not really. Otogi and Honda were both precariously close to Shizuka, with Jou glaring steadily from three seats away. Sitting between him were Mai and Anzu, who were chatting animatedly. Let's note that we're sitting at a circular shaped table. I'm surprised it could fit so many people. So the order of the table goes like this:

Midget – Pharaoh – Jou – Mai – Anzu – Otogi – Shizuka – Honda – Mokuba – Kaiba – Me (Well, Takara, but it's my seat anyways) – Isis – Rishid – Sakura-san – Midget etc.

I've already stated what Otogi, Honda, and Jou were all doing, right? And Anzu, Mai, and Shizuka? Let's move on to the Pharaoh and the Midget. They are… Well, Yuugi was teaching Atemu to use chopsticks, and Atemu was dropping them on the ground. Hah.

Kaiba sat as close to his little brother as possible without being weird (as in, you know, weird,) and as far away from Takara as possible, though she made it hard, as she scooted closer to mouth off animatedly about how lucky she was to "Sit next to the revered Kaiba-dono during a lovely Chinese dinner, don't you think?" Doesn't her family keep track of her? Considering the look on Kaiba's face, he didn't really like Chinese food that much. Either that or sitting next to an obsessed fangirl like Takara. Next to her, Rishid sat between Isis and Sakura-san, and they were in a three way conversation about something, no doubt intellectual.

I stood there and realized that not one person at the table was someone who I really wanted to be celebrating my birthday dinner with. I didn't even want to be celebrating my birthday. No, I wanted to find that anonymous sender! He'd been plaguing me ALL FRICKEN DAY! WHO THE HECK WAS HE!

As soon as I find out who he is, I promised myself, I will have peace of mind. And only _then_ will I want to have dinner! For now, I think I'm going to be here…

**Later –**

Bakura and Ryou's fight suddenly erupted into screams. "I HAD TO SERVE THAT TABLE YESTERDAY!"

"WELL, IT'S ON YOUR SIDE OF THE FRICKEN RESTAURANT!" Ryou yelled back, looking angry. This was a definite first.

"NO, IT'S ON YOUR'S!" Bakura replied.

Let me explain why this lard-ass is someone not even Ryou would be willing to serve. This guy was not really a lard-ass; he was not large, or lard-ass-ful. This guy was so enormous, he was disabled. As in he sat in a wheelchair, with his stomach spilling over the sides. There were grease stains on his shirt, and they were apparently only from the appetizing soup. How was he even allowed in the restaurant?

To be demonstrative, Bakura stood in the center of the room, and held his hands out, indicating a line there. "This is the center point!" Lard-ass would be on Ryou's side that way.

"I thought we always divided the room this way," Ryou said, confused as he indicated a line exact perpendicular to Bakura's.

Bakura scratched his head. And thought a little. And a little more. Finally, he said, "Oh yeah. I remember now." They looked at the way they'd split up the restaurant this time. The guy's table was right on Ryou's imaginary line, not to mention our table was on it too. Ryou moved a little to the left, just enough so that none of the lard-ass's body parts were on his side. "He's on your side."

Bakura stared in horror, and then realized what his hikari had done. "YOU CHEATED!" he yelled, eyes bulging like my alternate personality's. "YOU MOVED!"

"ONLY A CENTIMETER!" Ryou yelled back. "It didn't really matter! He was mostly on your side anyways!"

By now they had caused a silence of the rest of the restaurant, excepting Otogi and Honda fawning over Shizuka and Takara gleefully telling Kaiba about… something. Kaiba was blantantly ignoring the girl. Actually, she may be stalking Kaiba. She probably is. She doesn't even live in Domino, so why the hell would she be in a restaurant around here? While I was thinking this, some kid with this giant shark fin for hair walked across the room and stopped at where Ryou and Bakura stood yelling. He stood patiently, and boredly. He too, like Ryou and Bakura, wore the uniform of the bus boys. When the two white haired boys didn't stop shouting, he cleared his throat.

Ryou and Bakura instantly stopped and looked. Ryou, swallowing, bowed and apologized, his face reddening. "Ashikarazu, Ren-sama."

Bakura was less honoring of the younger (by about three thousand years, give or take a few) boy. He gave a simple nod and a, "What does Jun want?"

Annoyed, apparently, the boy just glared. "Jun says she'll fire you if you don't calm down." His voice had a Chinese tone to it, and I'll assume he's Chinese by it.

Ryou opened his mouth, and then closed it, nodding.

"But who the hell is serving that pig!" Bakura gritted, pointing at Lard-ass.

"Well I suppose you are," Ren said, checking his fingernails for dirt. He didn't have a chance to say anything else, as Bakura took that moment to tackle him.

**Chapter 7 point five – **

Bakura tackled Ren, and Ren fought back. Seeing as Ryou was his Hikari, Ryou tried to pull Bakura off of Ren. This not working, as Bakura just flung Ryou off of him. Sighing, and feeling I needed to keep my best friend from getting his ass whipped, I started over there. As I did this, Otogi did a very brave thing and kissed Shizuka on the cheek. He was instantly tackled by Honda, while Jou grabbed Shizuka to ask if she was okay before pouncing on Otogi as well. Amazing how he bypassed the Pharaoh like that.

I was torn. On one hand, my good friend Otogi was getting beat up by to people, on the other, Bakura was getting his ass kicked by his boss. Otogi with one black eye. Bakura getting his as kicked. Otogi with two black eyes. Bakura getting his ass kicked. Otogi with three- er, two black eyes and a bloody nose…

So maybe Otogi was in more trouble, but the Pharaoh was on it.

I went to pull Bakura off of Ren.

**Getting punched is not fun, having a black eye is not fun, and finding out Isis' Tauk is gone is not fun either. –**

"I have two words for you, Bakura. Lawsuit." Tao Ren's regal voice was extremely pissed.

We sat in the business office of the restaurant, me, Bakura, Ryou, Ren, Otogi, Honda, Yami, and Jou. Ren held an icepack to his eye, where Bakura had managed to punch it. He didn't even bother offering an icepack to me, as Bakura had blackened my eye too. I could feel it swelling like there'd be no tomorrow. Bakura himself had a cut lip, bruised arms, and was clutching his stomach, moaning that something was gurgling. Ryou only had a light bruise on his chin, while Otogi, Honda, and Jou all sported black eyes, and were given ice. Yami was unharmed, seeing as he didn't really do much in fighting.

Isis was in the other room, speaking to Tao Jun. Lard-ass had just left, after threatening to file lawsuit for Bakura throwing me off into the bastard. It was disgusting; I bounced off of him. He was detained by a promise of a couple hundred dollars worth of free food. That was also disgusting.

Everyone else was seated in another area and was eating. This was MY birthday dinner, right? When was I going to get to eat?

My stomach growled audibly. Everyone in the room glared at me.

Why? Because apparently, this entire incident was my fault; if it weren't my birthday, this wouldn't have happened.

**Chapter seven half –**

"Oi, Bakura?" I whispered, breaking the uneasy silence. "Do you have…"

Everyone looked over expectingly. I made a face.

"What?" Bakura asked in his normal voice.

"Isis'…"

Bakura's eyes widened for a second, but then reverted to their normal size. "Oh. That. Lemme check…" He proceeded to stick his hand in the pocket of his bus boy uniform, his hand coming out of a hole on the other side. "Shit."

"DAMMIT BAKURA!" Ryou yelled, jumping up, eyes looking around frantically.

I was thinking something along the same lines as I reached for Bakura's neck. I was intercepted by Yami. "What's so important now, Malik?" the former pharaoh sighed.

"HE LOST THE TAUK!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I immediately clasped my hand over my mouth. Isis didn't come bursting into the room, so it's safe to assume that she hadn't heard.

Suddenly, as though Ryou and I hadn't just yelled at the top of our lungs at him, Bakura turned to Ryou, saying, "I've got it!"

"Got what?" Ryou asked, annoyed.

Bakura proceeded to excitedly whisper something. I didn't even know anyone could speak so fast. Apparently, Ryou had understood though. He nodded thoughtfully, before his face became stern again. "What will you do about the Tauk?" he questioned seriously.

"Leave it to me!" With that, Bakura blinked out of apparent existence. His Shadow Body could reassemble later.. Ren blinked, and shrugged.

**-As I was saying-**

"Yo, Malik. Can we stay over at your house for the night?" Bakura asked much later, after we were kicked out of the restaurant and Bakura fired. Ryou nodded enthusiastically.

"Ren-sama didn't pay us, and we have no groceries at home, so we don't really have anything to eat," the younger one said. "We could get take out!" I thought about it.

And it seemed like a… crappy idea.

"PLEASE?" Ryou begged, clinging to my arm like Takara did to Kaiba. (Why is the chick so obsessed with him? So what if he's a renown CEO? She's not even in line to inherit Blazequest, is she?)

I shook Ryou off. "Alright, fine then. I just have to ask Isis first."

At the mention of Isis' name, both Yami and Hikari looked down at their feet. "I feel guilty, for once," Bakura stated.

"Whatever, come on guys, lets go. Hey Ryou, don't you have a car? Isis left with Rishid and Ichigo-sensei." Ryou nodded.

"I still think it's strange for Rishid to be dating our homeroom teacher," Bakura muttered darkly, shoving his hands into his coat pockets.

**Chapter seven and a half, still –**

First of all, we had to stop by Ryou's house to pick up their stuff. Then we had to drop off Ryou's Christmas cards and gifts to distant relatives at the post office. Then I had to loan them money to pay their rent.

They owed a lot of rent.

**-END 7.5… Still Six Days till Xmas-**

((TBC))

A/N: Takara turned out a little weird… Oo… Well, the original Takara isn't like that (Check out Blue Eyes if you want to see her true random nature). Her reverence for Kaiba is based off of my Shaman OC's reverence for Ren, which is creepy. But NO! Takara is NOT infatuated with Kaiba! Enki is NOT infatuated with Ren! (Honest! Or Straws would kill me!)

A/N 2: (sobs over loss of reviewers again) That girl who writes that Club Crest story no longer reviews me. (I don't even know what to call her anymore; she changes her pen name every few days! . ! ) The BMGS (Now Mana-the-authoress) didn't review my last chapter. (sobs)

A/N 3: I've decided that "Mwee hee hee" is NOT the right way to go. I just like making the "WHEEEEEE!" sound. (Blinks) Did that seem weird to you? Oo… Anyyways… I'm thinking of writing more humor. But I like being dark and damp and making Bakura kill Ryou. n.n; On to replies!

**Bourei no Hikari – **Truth be honest, I'm confusing myself too. I can't keep trying to tie in red herrings, or I'll go insane! And Duke makes me shiver too, but I like Devlin. But it makes sense! And… Ryou on top! Yummy… (Licks lips)

**Satine 89 – **Straws: Why do you want Kura-Koi to suffer?

James: I know how you feel.

Ren: Wha?

Mandark: AH! If you're scared… THE SKY IS FALLING!

**Angela - ** What ABOUT Bakura, eh? And… An OC driven sequel? That's an idea… Hm…

**Misura – **Yes! Bakura IS the best! n.n! Well, this story seems contradictory to me sometimes. -.-; Bakura's really ooc… and so's Malik, ne? and pretty much everyone…

See ya next time!


	9. Seven more gems, and more glass

**Disclaimer: Not owning Yugioh is one of my strongs suits. **

Note: Sorry for coming so late on this. -.-; Everyone: Read my reply to Angela regarding a sequel. If I do write a sequel, it'll most likely be her, since it was her idea in the first place, but we'd need OCs. ((Is thinking about a sequel already, although is not sure she would act on it.)) Oh yes, it explains that I have a fate for most of the characters.

Note 2: One of the characters is fated to be gay. No offense, people-who-don't-like-boy-love, but I, personally, like it. Poor him, though, because the love is unrequited. (Said gay character is on "The List," but may or may not appear in this chapter.) Hmm… I might not even tell you who IS gay by the end of the story, to have another side plot for the sequel. ((Ponders))

**-Five Days till Christmas—**

_On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Eight maids a milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree!_

Or, in this case, seven necklaces and—hey! Isis, give me back that ink! The pen won't replenish itself!

**-Five Days till Christmas (cough)—**

I woke up on my side (in my bed) with this odd disorientation, you know, the type you get after spending an entire night up doing gods know what with gods know who. At this thought, I realized I had no clue what I'd done the night before, and there was an odd weight across my side. I stiffened as the owner of the arm curled against my back. Let's see what I did last night? After the party, Ryou and Bakura drove me back here, we spent the night watching horror movies and throwing popcorn at each other, and then Ryou fell asleep on the couch. I rolled over to come face to face with…

"AHHHH!"

Ryou's eyes snapped open. Shocked to see himself sharing a bed with me, he quickly pushed himself off, causing a loud BAM as he hit the floor. "AHHHH!" he screamed back.

"AHHHH!" I screamed.

"AHHHH!" Ryou screamed.

"AHHHH!"

"AHHHH!"

"BWAHAHAHA!" Bakura's Shadow Body reassembled, rolling around on the ground in fits of laughter. Ryou and I stopped screaming to look at the deranged 3000 year old Spirit of the Ring. "You two are just so funny to watch!"

I was about to attack Bakura, but Ryou beat me to it. "YOU IDIOT!" The slight white haired boy attacked his counter-part head on, pounding on the other as hard as he could. "You… Teme! You have the nerve to control my body while I sleep? Then you should have the courage to tell who you like, or I will-"

"How about who you like?" Bakura smirked, even as he got punched in the stomach. The younger boy wasn't hurting the spirit in the least. "After all, wouldn't everyone like to you that you like—OW! What the hell is your head made of? Rocks? Itai!" Bakura yelled as his host rammed him "head" on.

**-Five Days till Christmas (cough)—**

Isis tched as she addressed our wounds, since she hadn't been able to do so last night. "Malik, you shouldn't have waited until this morning to put ice on that eye of yours."

"Neesan, I didn't know we _had _ice!" I managed to say.

Bakura just stared at me as Isis moved on to attend both Ryou's bruised head (it seems Bakura has quite the abdominal section). "You didn't know you had ice? Even _I_ know where to get ice!"

I rolled my eyebrows as Ryou picked up the narrative. "Riiiight, Baku... in the _snow._"

"So? That would've worked as well." Bakura sat on the kitchen table swinging his legs as carefree as always, since his Shadow Body recuperated after disassembly and reassembly. Which he did, after moaning something about the gurgling in his stomach coming back. "Hmm..." the spirit said thoughtfully. "Maybe I shouldn't have... OW! What just—" Bakura looked down at his foot, to see a... kitten.

"How cute!" Ryou went over and kneeled next to said kitten, stroking its fur softly. It still hadn't let go of Bakura, so as it relaxed, it's dead weight tugged on said thief's foot. His shaking foot, that is.

"Damn it, cat, get off!" Bakura muttered as he shook his foot vigorously. "How did it get here anyways?"

Isis shrugged. "It was left for Malik on the doorstep this morning."

"Oh, that reminds me to ask you something," I began. "You know who the anonymous sender is, don't you?" Bakura and Ryou looked at each other, and then slinked away suspiciously, Ryou carrying my cat with him. Isis said nothing, a slight powdery pink dusting across her face. Great, now I'm getting poetic. "I knew it!" I accused. "You do know!"

"I never said that," Isis murmured.

"But you didn't say you didn't! And you like him too, right?"

Isis blinked at me, getting pinker and pinker with each passing second.

"I knew it!" I was on the verge of hysterics. Isis _knew_. Isis knew, and she was torturing me! She knows I can't stand it when I don't know something! I want to know who the heck gave me a kitten! "You're only keeping quiet for the presents, aren't you? And who the heck would send me a kitten?"

I was going hysterical. Isis, as my sister, could see this as she handed me a box.

"What's this... ?" I questioned, having calmed down.

"Today's gift. It came in the mail with the kitten. I thought you might want to open it."

I blinked. "Are you sure? And wait, what kind of person would put a kitten in the mail?"

My sister shrugged gently. "I wouldn't have a clue."

I just glared at her, and opened the package.

There were eight necklaces. They were mostly the same, but for the fact that the gemstones were all different, each either Ruby, Amber, Yellow Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst, or Diamond, set in gold. As for the eighth necklace...

… there was none. "Er… is that an egg?"

"It's glass!" Isis picked it up, and it reflected the light, making pretty little rainbows all over. Carved in the glass was, in an Italic font, "To my dear Isis, my love for you will always be there, like the spring after winter. Love Always." And it ended there.

I eyed my sister carefully as she took the egg to her room, not taking her necklaces with her. I placed down her presents, and then bolted out the door.

**FiveDays till Christmas**

I found Ryou and his yami outside, the yami continuously magicking snowballs into existence and forcing Ryou to run from them. Ryou was laughing as he did so, and both yami and hikari were smart enough to wear snow suited clothes, while I wasn't.

"I know it was you!" I accused as I stopped beside Bakura. I was shivering; I was wearing pajamas. "You're the secret admirer!"

"That's all very nice," Bakura said, continuing to make snowballs.

I was angrified. "BAKURA! Listen to me!"

Bakura only whistled, increasing his snowball per second rate.

I snatched the Ring from Bakura's hands. Bakura looked at me with angry eyes. "I'm on to you, Bakura! There's incriminating evidence against you!"

Bakura blinked. "What? Evidence of what?" he asked innocently.

I felt the steam coming out of my ears. "You… You have that fixation on pretty little butterflies and rainbows! It had to be you!"

"You've lost it," Bakura pointed out, bending down and making a snowball manually. "What kind of tomb robber has a fixation on rainbows? It'd more likely be Ryou to have an obsession like that."

I sighed in frustration. "Yeah, but you could be lying. You could've-"

"ACK! Malik!" A second later, Ryou crashed into me, snowballs pelting us as Ryou crushed me into the snow, making me wet. Very wet, considering I was wearing pajamas. "Ah, sorry Malik," Ryou murmured, scrambling up and very red.

Dizzy, and cold, I looked up to see Bakura giving a secretive smirk to Ryou before dumping a crapload of snow on me. Gee, that wasn't very nice.

After all, Isis would end up yelling at me about getting myself sick.

**FiveDays till Christmas**

((TBC))

More notes: You've been narrowing down the list. I'm telling you right now, **at least** ONE person has gotten it right, **at least** ONCE. :-D It closes off Jou and Yami and Yuugi, right?

REVIEWS! YAY!

Satine89: REN! Of course there's Ren! And, er, I can guess who was at the show. n.n! Good for you! ((Doesn't know how to encourage/praise people. Is shame faced.))

Angela: A sequel... I still have to think about that. About Kura-san? I think it'd make more sense if it were about Malik. After all, this story itself is mainly about all of Malik's bad luck. I also have plans for nearly all the characters involved and/or mentioned. Nearly. I'm thinking of rethinking Ryou's fate… I probably won't email you until I get past chapter ten and decide weather or not to write that sequel. So don't worry if I don't get around to emailing you. ((Is going through another Bakura/Ryou writing binge at the moment, so wouldn't want to pair Bakura with an OC anyways.)) Oh, and I _tried_ to read _A Cup Of Rain, and Blood stained FLowers, A Bakura Story_, but... It has no paragraphing... I could hardly get past the first sentence because of that. ((Is a stickler on grammar... Can't read stories that have all the dialogue in one paragraph. Or the entire story, for the matter. Sorry.))

Sami: I guess that the fact that you had "Sami" in your penname would alert me that you are, indeed, Sami the Anonymous. Amazing chapter, really? I'm flattered. Oh, and I read your Bakura poems. I just never got around to reviewing, because every time I read, the site happens to be in read only mode. ((Never checks the front page until she realizes that she can't log in, submit stories, or review.))

Misura: I don't understand how the Bakurae got Malik to loan them money to pay rent. It didn't make any sense to me... Whatever. I'm currently taking Geometry, so "perpendicular" was drilled in my head early on, when I had to learn about angles and intersecting lines. ((Didn't get it on the first try... (Don't laugh, Straws.)))

Tonaka-chan (reviewed ch. 5): Thank you. I guess. (Even though you didn't review until you wanted to tell me something, but oh well.)

Bourei no Hikari: Email for Devlin-boy! Funny Bunny scares the shit out of me. Scarier than birds. ((Shudders at the thought of them.)) Yeah, well... I happened to never see that episode, no matter HOW many times they play the whole DDD thing. ((Sweat drops.))

Mana: Er... thanks, but no thanks. Cream puffs are on the same list as donuts, pocky, and peeps. Make me sick. I appreciate your apologies, though. Go give those puffs back to Ryou. Say they're from me. You don't really... have to... go into the corner to cry... ((Pats back awkwardly. Is bad at consoling people too.)) Thanks for being enthusiastic! n.n!

**See ya next chapter!**


	10. Nine Egyptian Novels

**Disclaimer: Own Yugioh, I do not.**

Aw man, I want to see that movie SO BAD. Annyways, sorry for the long wait! I've got excuses, such as that I haven't been home, I have been going through a lot of emotional stress, I had math finals, FFN wasn't working… All kinds of crap. Plus, I started writing this chapter on the laptop, and my brother kept using the laptop, and I refused to type on the desktop, so… Yeah.

**Every/Any body who reads this story will also most likely like "Duke's Big Love!" by ClosetDweller.** She's a talented writer, though she doesn't think so, and since I gave her the idea for the story in the first place (I almost forgot all about it until I found a draft lying around the house four months later) I felt I should promote it. It's a hilarious story, but she's using the typical "ten reviews" request to be lazy. She hasn't even got to the plot yet though! T.T (It's categorized Tragedy/Humor. It's not tragic at all, by the way.)

I have it on my favs list if you wanna check!

And, Kyah! It's been a year since I started on FFn! Yay! I have a lot of things to post, but I don't have the time! And I've missed updating Forever and After again! Wah!

**--Four days till Christmas--**

_On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Nine lords-a-leaping, eight maids a milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree!_

Or books. Yep. Books.

_**--On the ninth day of—wait, I did that already, didn't I?--**_

As the sun rose on my seventeenth birthday, I was miserable. Isis had _warned_ me that I would get a cold, but did I listen? Noooooo… I just _had_ to walk around outside wearing pajamas, didn't I? And having Ryou and his Yami around wasn't much enjoyable either. They'd been bugging me all night and day. Currently though, they were sleeping on the floor, thoroughly exhausted. I blew my nose in a tissue, and decided that maybe it was time to take my medicine. So I stood up, wrapped myself with a comforter, and started picking my way around the Bakurae and their mess.

Twenty minutes and a thorough bathroom search later, I stood outside of Isis' door, whining: "_Isis_… I can't find the mediciiiine!"

Isis groaned loudly, giving the impression that five in the morning was too early for her. "Malik, did you check the medicine cabinet?"

"Yes."

"Did you check the drawers?"

"_Yes."_

"Are you sure Ryou and the tomb robber throw the medicine at you last night?"

"Y_eeess."_

There was rummaging sound, and Isis appeared at the door shortly, sliding a bed robe over her nightgown. I don't think pink is a very good color for my sister.

She entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. There was a growl of annoyance, and she opened it a few seconds later, tossing a box of cold medicine at me. "I knew I left it on the counter, Malik."

I blinked. "Oh. Okay. Thanks." I turned around and, gripping my blankets tightly, walked to the stairs.

**--Four freaking days left till Christmas--**

I went to the kitchen, hoping to get a glass of water to drink my medicine with. However, the sight that greeted me in there was… well…

"Aiee!" I screamed, clawing at my eyes. "Aiee!"

Rishid and Isis were at my side lickety split. "Aiee!"

"What's wrong Malik?" they asked in unision.

"Ba-Balloons," I stammered. "My eyes!"

There was an assortment of balloons in my kitchen. They were all brightly colored, helium, although there were some on the ground. The kitten, which was named Touzoku, padded past me. Seconds later, a loud POP! was heard, and the kitten wailed, screeching past me in a blur of grey. Dumb cat. It deserved it.

"Where did they come from anyway?" I asked.

**--Four days till Christmas--**

Yuugi-tachi was through fervently apologizing for startling me before we could start the party. (Apparently, Ryou was the one that infiltrated so they could get the balloons into the house quietly.) And the party couldn't last long, because my cold could "turn into pneumonia" as my sister put it. And I "couldn't get too much excitement either" or I'd "fall into a coughing fit and…" and… and something. I wasn't really listening to Isis.

It's not really nice to be sick on your birthday; Isis wouldn't let me eat any cake or go outside and pelt Otogi with snowballs. I didn't even have my Rod to magick snowballs with either, so the morning was pretty much a flop. I got to blow out my candles though! (Even though I couldn't eat cake.) Even Sakura-san… er, Ichigo-sensei (homeroom, math, VP, remember?) was there. I was too tired to even be freaked out about how close she and my brother were standing together. At least I had a few presents!

So I picked up a box and unwrapped it.

"Ryou…" I began, arching an eyebrow. "Clothes?"

Ryou's complexion was a bit red. "Umm, yeah. I thought that, uh, you might like it, because it's your style and all, and…"

"And my name is only on it because I didn't want to go out and steal anything for you," Bakura's muffled voice cut in. Bakura's voice was muffled because his face was in a pillow. Apparently, he was too tired to move. And who's fault is that?

**--Four days till the exciting holiday--**

The second present I picked up, and the seven after it, was a series of Egyptian books about ancient Egyptian romances. Or something. I didn't bother reading the title anyways, and I realized they were for Isis. This was helped along by the fact that a giant card that read ISIS in the same curly font as before labeled each one.

The cursed admirer strikes again! "ARGH!" I yelled, jumping off of my comfy seat on the arm-chair. "Who sent this?" I asked.

No one answered. Oh, I should mention the guests, shouldn't I? Yeah, the Yuugi-tachi was all here: Yuugi, Yami Yuugi, Anzu, Jou, Honda, Jou's sister, Jou's girlfriend (Mai, right?), Kaiba Jr., Kaiba Sr., Otogi, Ryou, and Yami Bakura. All these people, plus my siblings and homeroom teacher, witnessed my outburst.

Anyways, no one answered.

Now that my head was cleared up a bit, I realized that there was only one present left on the table. My anger at the secret admirer evaporated, and instead, I was angry at everyone for not getting me something. I didn't say it out loud though, wanting to wait until I finished opening this dinky thing before I went berserk.

I reached over, picked it up, and, with trembling hands, opened it. It was a key, on a key chain. "Wha--?" I asked. Touzoku had attached himself (yes, himself) to my leg. "OW!" I howled.

Everyone, bloody cursed everyone, laughed at me. Damn cat.

Touzoku mewed cutely.

**--Four days till Christ- wait, why do I even celebrate Christmas? I'm not Christian, or even Jewish! I'm a polytheistic, for gods' sakes!--**

"Anyway, guys, what's this? A dinky little key? The only other present I got other than Ryou's tight leather pants and tiny tanktop?" Ryou reddened as I said his name and his presents. He was embarrassed. Ah, how cute. Kind of. Not really; I'm not gay, you know.

"No Malik-san," Rishid said, going over to the door, "Come." I did as he said, grumbling all the way.

"What is it?" I whined. I wrapped my downy comforter around me even tighter. "I'm sick, I can't have cake, I can't go outside and play, stupid admirer sent Isis' presents to MY party, and all I got was a dinky little key and leather pants!" I fumed.

"Malik…"

"And then I'm going to have to stay in bed for the rest of the week, and it's almost Christmas. Christmas! And someone gave me a damn cat. I'm allergic to cats, you know that?"

"Malik-san, I know you. You are not allergic to cats," Rishid told me.

I glared at him and snapped, "I didn't say that!"

Rishid sighed. "Whatever you say, Malik-sama. Look out the door."

"What do you—" I began, then opened my eyes.

A beautiful black Harley Davidson sat on the drive. My eyes widened. "Wow…"

I was entranced by the shiny surface of it. I took a step out into the snow in totally bare feet…

But was yanked back into the house quickly by my older siblings. "Malik, you've got a cold!" Isis-nee-san said. "You can't go outside now. You can see your bike later."

I scowled. "What? You're so mean, nee-san."

I flopped back onto the couch with a sour facial expression. Yuugi, Ryou, and company all were worried about my facial expression. "Why are you frowning, Malik-kun?" Yuugi said.

I blinked. I hadn't noticed I was frowning. "Nothing."

"Did you not like the present we got you?" Yuugi asked worriedly, chewing a nail. "We've been saving up to make your first birthday with us memorable."

"No! I really really like the motorcycle!" I insisted quickly. I looked around at the people around me. "You all saved up to buy this for me?"

They nodded.

"You'd better like it, Malik, because I spent more money than anyone else did on your gift," Kaiba said, snorting. "Who would've guessed that Yuugi's Yami was an extortionist? Then again, he keeps saying he's an ancient pharaoh…" Kaiba shook his head. "Well, I've got to go. I'm very busy today, and I can't stay any longer. Come along, Mokuba," he said, nodding to me and Isis and Rishid before he walked to the door and exited, little brother tagging along behind, waving to everyone.

**--Four… more… days…--**

The party died down a bit after that. Isis was happy with her novels. Ryou and his yami were no where to be found. Touzoku was happy popping balloons and killing my ears. I didn't even want to know where Rishid and Ich- Sakura-san went off to. I sat on the couch watching old Digimon reruns. I glanced out the window every couple of minutes to check if my bike was alright. I also put the key on the rarely used key rack next to the door. And then I heard…

"MALIK!"

I bolted upright, slightly panicked. That was Isis! Wait, why would she be mad at me? The last thing I remembered was her offering to clean my room since I had a cold. And she knew she'd be facing a room after having the Bakurae over for a night, so what could she possibly be complai—

Oh. That's right. I have her glass shoe.

By the time I got it in my head to take the Harley and run for it, slim fingers were already pinching my ear.

"OW!" I exclaimed, both at Isis' grip and Touzoku's imitation of Isis on my bare foot.

"I demand an explanation," Isis said coolly, her other hand holding two large pieces of glass.

Wait, two? Didn't Otogi break it into three?

**--The ninth day ends--**

**REVIEWS!**

**Misura: **Is this soonish? ((Sweatdrop)) I loved the opening scene too. That's why I put it in there! As I go on, I find that it's harder to find scenes I like, because I've already used most of my favorite scenes… ((sigh)) Anyways, I agree about if I had a brother like Malik, I wouldn't tell him either. He's quite annoying and nosey, kinda like me! (Not by much, really…) : D

**Satine89:** I'm SURE you get the Yami/Hikari thing… Would it be better if I just called him Yami Bakura the entire time? Oo…

**Angela and Minimix:** : D Thanks for loving last chapter! I'll IM about the sequel… sometime… : D

**Sami Ryou's Hikari:** Sami… I'm sorry. Everyone knows it's probably either Ryou or Bakura… I liked the opening scene too. N.n!

**Mana-the-Authoress:** No, Yami Bakura's not really obsessed with Rainbows and stuff. Malik was just making that up. Ya know, cuz he's him like that:D

**SEEYA!**


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